Modernism and Orientalism: the Ambiguous Nudes of Chinese Artist Pan Yuliang

At the successful staging of 20th Century Chinese Art organized by Christie’s, held in Hong Kong in November 2005, an auction record was set for a work by deceased artist Pan Yuliang (潘玉良, 1895-1977).1 Previously estimated to be between HK$33.5 million (approximately US$384,600-448,700) in value before the sale, the partially nude self-portrait of Pan fetched an impressive HK$9.64 million instead.2 In recent years, films have been made on the life of Pan, such as the 1993 movie A Soul Haunted by Painting (Hua Hun)3 that starred popular Chinese actress Gong Li and the 2004 Chinese Television series Hua Hun: Pan Yuliang, played by former Hong Kong beauty queen Michelle Reis. The recent sensation over the forgotten artist in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan is ironic in view of the lonely, frugal life Pan led as an independent artist before she died in her shabby apartment in Paris in 1977.